O MeA e tAtAU OnA e IlOA - Australian Diabetes Council

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Healthy eating for diabetes
Eating does more than just provide food and building materials for the body. Eating is a
pleasurable and social experience.
Diabetes should not stop you from enjoying food and eating with friends and family. You
can still enjoy special occasions such as family, social, school and religious festivals. Tell your
dietitian, diabetes educator and doctor what you eat and when. Your food and diabetes
medications can be adapted to suit your lifestyle and normal family routine. However you
may need to make changes to your eating habits to keep your diabetes under control and
stay healthy.
Why is healthy eating important?
A healthy diet is one of the most important parts of diabetes management.
Eating well can help to manage your blood glucose (sugar) levels, cholesterol and blood
pressure. Eating well can also help you to maintain a healthy body weight. Being overweight
makes it harder to manage your diabetes. It is therefore important to have a healthy diet to
help you lose excess weight and improve your diabetes management.
It is important that any dietary advice is tailored to your needs. That is where your dietitian is
helpful.
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